08 veteran vaccineMilitary veterans, their spouses and caregivers will be able to receive coronavirus vaccines through the Department of Veterans Affairs once doses are made available, under legislation finalized by Congress. Veterans Affairs leaders supported the move, saying they did not want to turn away any veteran from receiving the shot if they were available. But under current rules, department medical centers were permitted to administer vaccines only to veterans already eligible for VA health care services, and for certain caregivers registered in VA support programs. That totals just under 7 million individuals. Under the new bill, that number is expected to jump to more than 20 million. It will make vaccines available “to all veterans, veteran spouses, caregivers ... and Department of Veterans Affairs recipients to the extent that such vaccines are available.”